Sarah Brown (Carly) was new to soap operas and was still
adjusting to the workload when tragedy befell her. She was only in her new apartment
two months when she smelled smoke and realized the house was on fire. Quick
thinking saved her life although almost all of her possessions were destroyed.

Looking back, Sarah credits one of daytime's favotite
talkers with making her take stock of her own safety-Oprah Winfrey. "I love
Oprah, she's my role model," exclaims Sarah. "She saved my life when I jumped
out of my apartment window when my house burned down. I had just seen Oprah's
show a week earlier when she told everybody, and I took it to heart, to find
an escape route in your home besides your front door. She did this whole rape
special with these woman who had been raped and had no way to get out except
the bedroom door. This show aired a week before my house burned down. In the
one instant that I had a second to think once I realized that I couldn't get
out the front door because I was brand new in the apartment, I thought of that
show. I had only been there a few months and I went through the whole apartment
and I found every exit and ways to get out if I am locked in a room. In my bedroom
when I thought 'I'm trapped and I'm going to die', I thought of 'Oprah, Oprah
show!' and I remembered that there was a window in my bedroom that was overlooking
the first floor balcony. I remember thinking that if I jumped out of it, it
wouldn't be a far drop because I was on the second floor. So I jumped!" When
I applauded Sarah for having a clear enough head to think rationally, she said,
"You do what you have to I guess in those kind of situations."

A way of thinking that can be also be likened to her
GH alter-ego, Carly. Carly is certainly a woman who is quick on her feet in
adverse situations, but we wonder just how quick she'll be when the other shoe
drops that she is Bobbie's long-lost daughter. Sarah believes she will land
on her feet, after all, she's part Spencer!

"Carly was not raised on the street but she's definitely
very street smart," she explains. "She has that Spencer bloodline pumping through
her. I think she takes after her momma a lot and God knows who her dad was!
He took it upon himself to go out and find himself a prostitute, so he must
have been a very liberal man! Carly didn't have a father, so she had to learn
the tough way how to take care of herself."

When I told Sarah that Carly seemed different than when
she first arrived in town, less of a fire cracker and more needy, she sighed
and said she recongized the change, too, but realizes that there needs to be
a balance in order for Carly to seem real. "She's very needy and insecure, but
she's also tough," she laughs. "She's childish, not immature, but she still
thinks like a little girl. She hasn't had exposure to love, a good wholesome
family and those kinds of things. She goes around with all those insecurities
eating her up and when one of those buttons get pushed, the needy little child
comes out from inside of her more than the tough street smart woman she's become.
I think with Tony, she feels the most comfortable and the most like a needy
child."

This past year and in particular, her recent Emmy nomination
has had Sarah reeling. Partly because of what she has faced personally. "I have
been the underdog my whole life!" she exclaims. "I love being in that situation
though. I love getting the chance to work with pros like Jackie Zeman (Bobbie).
I see her every morning running in the parking lot. Every morning at 5 a.m.
and she's got two kids and it blows my mind! You won't catch me running at 5
a.m. ever! I guess it's a good thing, it keeps you on your toes and makes you
want to work even harder when you have Jackie to work against because you know
if you slip up, how upset she'll be at you! They've been there way too long
to come in and work with someone who's not professional. But I do have to say,
I am glad my first soap experience has been on GH because there are no egos
here, no prima-donnas. Everyone here is real sweat and a pleasure to work with."